* A fall tour through Scotland with a new ballet by Ashley Page
* The return of 'Sleeping Beauty' for the holiday season
* An appearance at London's Dance Umbrella

For all those familiar with past years, the company will not be performing as part of the Edinburgh International Festival, but instead will be touring a triple bill to cities in Scotland. To me, this is much better because the company is able to perform in the infinitely preferable setting of the Festival Theatre and Edinburgh doesn't have a August to April gap between mixed programs. (Though I find it annoying that Glasgow gets 3 weeks of 'Sleeping Beauty', and Edinburgh with a MUCH better theatre and probably a much larger arts-going audience and being the capital city, only gets less 4 days. And as usual, it's in January, once the holiday buzz has died down. How about alternating between cities when it comes to holiday productions - it would be wonderful to have ballet instead of (urg) pantomime in Edinburgh in December.)

However, it's a bit disappointing that the company is only presenting one new ballet (world or company premiere) between the fall and winter seasons. It's not that I don't like 'Ride the Beast', but we have seen it a number of times in recent years. Plus, combined with the Trisha Brown "For MG: The Movie", it makes for a triple bill that doesn't really lend itself well to attract neophytes to the ballet. I've gained an appreciation for Brown's choreography after seeing her company perform in Belgium this past spring, but I still don't think "For MG: The Movie" is really suitable for a ballet company.

I suspect that the lack of new pieces is both linked to the company's upcoming move to it's well deserved (and much improved) new digs at Tramway, as well as the incompetence of the Scottish government when it comes to proper arts funding. The former issue means that the company is probably spending a lot of time, money and energy on a move, and may be saving up for future seasons when they will have the space and facilities to work on new pieces and host visiting choreographers. And the latter means that the company, whilst the beneficiary of some long term cash, is always at the mercy of the constantly changing arts funding organization and a painfully shortsighted government.

The announcements:

"...The third in a trilogy of ballets with a fairytale them, re-imagined with fresh relevance for a contemporary audience, The Sleeping Beauty is full of surprising twists, devilish wit and stunning visuals. Princess Aurora is born into an enchanted world where mortal members of Europe’s sovereign court mingle with the celestial beings of the forest and their fairy kings.

Unfolding through the kaleidoscopic perspective of over one hundred years, The Sleeping Beauty showcases a spectrum of fashions, from the simple elegance of 1830s Regency fashion and the opulent glamour of neo-gothic Victorian dress, through to the austere silhouette of 1940s post-war Europe, with Antony McDonald’s artistic vision rendering them by turns graceful, stylish and outrageous. The stunning sets create whole new worlds of magic and mystery, from the King and Queen’s beautiful garden to the enchanted forest through which the Prince travels to find his true love, and the score, composed by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, is alive with musical motifs full of exquisite poetic images, and will be performed live by the Scottish Ballet Orchestra.

PENNIES FROM HEAVEN Choreography Ashley Page / Music Popular songs of the ‘30s

New music, vintage fashion and cinematography collide in Scottish Ballet’s brand new season this autumn as Scotland’s national dance company presents a trio of iconic dance pieces, including the world premiere of a brand new piece, Pennies from Heaven, from Artistic Director Ashley Page. Opening in Glasgow (Thursday 18 September) and touring throughout Scotland, the season also marks a highly anticipated return to the London stage as part of the Dance Umbrella festival at the Southbank Centre (Saturday 4 and Sunday 5 October).

Opening with Ride The Beast (2007), Scottish Ballet dancers weld their classical technique to the raw power of Petronio's rolling signature language. They soar and shudder to some of Radiohead's best known music to create something startling, a celebration of pure energy and aggressive creativity.

This will be the first time that Ride the Beast has been performed in full outside the Edinburgh International Festival where the piece, created exclusively on the Company, premiered last year to much critical and audience acclaim.

Petronio has selected five tracks spanning Radiohead’s career to complement the layered complexity and primal nature of his new work. Opening with the detached electronica of Fitter Happier, Ride The Beast showcases many sides of Radiohead: an acoustic version of anthemic single Creep; clipped instrumental Hunting Bears; the dreamy surge of Idioteque and the throbbing, brass-drenched National Anthem.

“When you ask Stephen Petronio to create a new work for your Company you expect something bold and provocative,” says Artistic Director Ashley Page. “When he chooses to set that work to music by Radiohead it makes perfect sense, because the sonic landscapes and layered textures of the groups’ music are a perfect ally for the choreographic language Stephen has been developing throughout his dazzling career. Both dance and music here are absorbed in exploring these landscapes, the one enriching the other as structures and material are pushed to the limits.”

Costumes for Ride The Beast have been designed by über cool New York fashion designer Benjamin Cho, whose pieces can be regularly seen on the likes of Cate Blanchett, Christina Ricci, Kirsten Dunst, Chloë Sevigny and have also featured in the music video for Jennifer Lopez’s Play. Famous for the exquisite craft and fine details featured in his clothing, Cho’s costumes are sculptural and kinetic. Designs include a vibrant primary colour shift with woven koi carp on its back, a white braided corset and a range of otherworldly metal costumes.

“Combining the songs of Radiohead with a group of incredible dancers … for fans of the band, this is a dream comes true … Bold, assured, dynamic and utterly watchable. A trio set to an acoustic version of Creep lends the song even more poignancy, with an awkward male crumbling in the face of perfection.”

The Scotsman on Ride the Beast

Nestled in the middle of the programme comes Trisha Brown’s For MG: The Movie (1993). Trisha Brown has always been interested in exploring what it means to perform. In this piece Brown’s choreography challenges conventions as one dancer stands perfectly still facing upstage for the entire piece, a human sculpture amidst other dancers entering and leaving as if characters in a film.

“The Movie is a clue for the audience that I was working with the idea of trying to make a figure materialize on the stage, whole, without seeing the mechanics of getting there, the way you can when you edit a film,” says Brown.

Set to a soundscape of organic noises blended with impressionist piano by maverick composer Alvin Curran, For MG: The Movie is lit beautifully, catching the dancers in hazy shafts of light which enhance the hypnotic atmosphere of this poetic work.

For MG: The Movie was first performed by Scottish Ballet in a bill that also included Petronio’s Ride the Beast at last year’s Edinburgh International Festival. Described as the antithesis of much of Ride the Beast by Artistic Director Ashley Page, he explains how learning a piece of dance as contemporary as Brown’s helps evolve the Company’s dynamic: “Basically, it’s added another dimension to their experience, and opened the dancers up to alternative ways in which they can think about, and make, dance. It’s a different discipline learned, and that can only be a valuable addition to anyone’s set of skills as a performer and artist.”

“A beautifully subtle example of stripped down minimalism”

The independent on sunday on for mg: the movie

Closing the autumn season is the world premiere of a brand new work from Ashley Page. Pennies From Heaven (2008), takes its cue from the music and cinema of the 1930s, and borrows its title from Dennis Potter’s acclaimed television drama Pennies From Heaven. The work is a playful interpretation of a of a range of popular songs from the period including March Winds and April Showers and Painting the Clouds with Sunshine, with elegant designs steeped in the vintage glamour of the era by award winning designer and long term collaborator Antony McDonald (The Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella).

The dancers, cast as a cross-section of 30’s society, including a hotel bell-hop and a cinema cigarette girl, tell a variety of love stories set to the bittersweet lyrics of the songs.

The company has announced another batch of promotions. Left out again is Eve Mutso - there seems to be no explanation for stranding her at soloist. I hope there's another company out there which can make better use of her wonderful talents.

SCOTTISH BALLET ANNOUNCE PROMOTIONS

FOR 2008

Scottish Ballet is delighted to announce that Sophie Martin, Tama Barry and Adam Blyde have been promoted from Soloist to Principal, while Vassilissa Levtonova has been promoted from Artist to Coryphée.

Sophie Martin joined Scottish Ballet in 2003 and has performed in a number of high profile roles, including her recent lead role in Pastor’s Romeo and Juliet. Sophie is featured as the poster girl for The Sleeping Beauty, Scottish Ballet’s decedent winter production beginning in November. Luxury Jewellers Hamilton and Inches have sponsored Sophie since Spring 2008.

Adam Blyde also joined the Company in 2003 performing as, amongst others, the Prince and Bluebird in Page’s The Sleeping Beauty.

Since joining in 2006, Tama Barry, has danced significant character roles in Scottish Ballet’s award winning repertoire and has been sponsored by Artemis Investment Management since 2007. He recently danced in the roles of Romeo and Tybalt in Pastor’s Romeo and Juliet.

Vassilisa Levtonova joined the Company in 2003 and is sponsored by Perfect Storm and Storm ID who provide Scottish Ballet’s online portal at scottishballet.co.uk. Vassilisa has danced a variety of high profile roles and is the current poster girl for Scottish Ballet’s Autumn Tour.

You can catch our fabulous dancers during Scottish Ballet’s Autumn Tour. New music, vintage fashion and cinematography collide as Scotland’s national dance company presents a trio of iconic dance pieces, including the world premiere of a brand new piece, Pennies from Heaven, from Artistic Director Ashley Page. Opening in Glasgow (Thursday 18 September) and touring throughout Scotland, the season also marks a highly anticipated return to the London stage as part of the Dance Umbrella festival at the Southbank Centre (Saturday 4 and Sunday 5 October).

A little 'blast from the past' - a NY Times review of Los Vivancos, the dance group which includes former Scottish Ballet dancers Aaron and Cristo Vivancos. Unfortunately, the review is the new nadir in Alastair Macaulay's NY reviewing career - it's neither humorous nor informative nor worthy of the level of the NY Times. Considering that it was a free out of doors performance, if Mr. Macaulay was so dismissive of the performance, he could have gotten up and left - and reviewed some other group(s) at the festival.

Clement Crisp evidently did not enjoy Scottish Ballet's performance at London's Dance Umbrella in early October 2008, which included works by Stephen Petronio, Trisha Brown and Ashley Page. His review in the Financial Times:

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